New Music Report – June 24, 2022

Pop quiz: Alexisonfire, Coheed & Cambria, and The Mars Volta all put out new music this week, what year is it? I could have sworn it was about 2003, but apparently, it’s 2022 and that’s fucking fantastic. I honestly have nothing more to say, that’s just fantastic.

Alexisonfire – This is the first album from Alexisonfire in over a decade, and I cannot tell you how long I have been waiting for this day to come. That said, if you’re expecting a redux of Watch Out!, you’re going to be disappointed, this is what Alexisonfire should sound like as a band, with multiple side projects and a hiatus, should sound like 18 years after Watch Out! The whole album sounds more mature, and like it draws out influence from all their other projects, from City & Colour to Gallows. And while the sound is different, it’s everything I needed it to be. I love it.

Coheed & Cambria – Coheed, on the other hand, has been going strong with few interruptions. I remember about 18 years ago when I’d spend YEARS running through Second Stage Turbine Blade and In Keeping Secrets. To this day they remain two of my favorite albums of all time, but that feeling has been hard to capture since. They’ve always been at the top of their game making incredible music, but the intangible feeling those albums gave me were pure magic. This album, however, comes closer than most have in some time. This reminds me very strongly of the sort of feel we got from the Good Apollo albums, and that is incredibly high praise. It feels like it’s pushing the sound forward, but it also feels instantly familiar, and I’ve been waiting for that feeling for over a decade now.

Limbs – This album rides a weird line between EP and full album, it’s only 7 songs, but in a world where most full lengths are only 10 songs anyway, then I’m going to count it here. Limbs is a wonderful band, they ride this fine line between metalcore and post-hardcore that creates some of the most captivating takes on either genre. Being able to fit in the middle ground leaves the full arsenal of both styles at their disposal and they utilize it beautifully.

Singles/Albums – Mars Volta (Prog), Lorna Shore (Deathcore), Gulch (Hardcore), Alpha Wolf (Metalcore), Wonder Years (Pop Punk), Becoming the Archetype (Metal), Fit for A King (Metalcore), Spiritbox (Nu-Metalcore), We Came as Romans (Metalcore), Patent Sixty-Seven (Metalcore), Cabal (Sludge)